1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to body supports, and more particularly, to a body support having hingedly connected semicylindrical cushions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Orthopedic pillows and pillow cases have been developed to provide support to a person's neck and/or lower back. U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,755 to Parrish, for example, discloses a support cushion device including two or three cushion devices of a semi-cylindrical shape with Velcro strips positioned to allow the cushions to be fastened together to form a cylindrical shape, a "T" shape, or an "H" shape. However, when the Parrish device is used as a neck support it does not have a configuration which can simultaneously provide support to the rear portion of the head. This results in the entire weight of the person's head and neck being supported at the neck alone which can cause a strain on the neck rather than a comfortable therapeutic effect. Similarly, when the Parrish device is used as a lumbar support it does not have a configuration which can simultaneously provide support to the lumbar region and the region just below the lumbar region, which can cause a strain on the lumbar rather than a comfortable therapeutic effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,299,451 to Trogdon discloses a convertible pillow which may be changed from a conventional shape, i.e., a comparatively flat member having a rectangular cross section, to a generally cylindrical shape. A zipper is used to secure the pillow in the cylindrical shape. The Trogdon pillow suffers from the disadvantage that when it is in the open, unzipped position, it is simply a conventionally shaped flat pillow that provides no support or therapeutic effect to the neck. Furthermore, because the Trogdon pillow is a conventionally shaped flat pillow, it is believed that when it is converted to a generally cylindrical shape, it will be a rather large, fat configuration that will force a person's head up too high. Such a configuration can induce a strain on the neck and actually have a detrimental effect. Similar to the Parrish device, the Trogdon pillow also does not have a configuration in which support is given both to the back of the head and to the neck. Trogdon does not state that his pillow has any therapeutic effect. Instead, Trogdon states that the pillow can be used to prevent pressure from being applied to a woman's hair curlers.
Other conventional support devices suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, many conventional support devices have predetermined shapes, thicknesses, and firmnesses that cannot be adjusted. Because people have many different shapes and sizes, most of the conventional devices cannot be used by everyone. Furthermore, although the predetermined shape, thickness, and firmness of a conventional device may be adequate for a person under some circumstances, it may not be appropriate for that person under all circumstances, such as during more severe or minor cases of fatigue.
Therefore, there is a need for a body support device that overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of conventional support devices.